Intellectual Property

  • April 05, 2024

    Intel Takes VLSI License Defense To Texas After Dismissal

    Intel brought its effort to secure a ruling that it has a license to VLSI chip patents in a multibillion-dollar dispute to a Texas court Friday, after a California judge unsealed a dismissal order holding that contract language barred her from deciding the issue.

  • April 05, 2024

    SITO Mobile Can't Get Fed. Circ. To Revive Patents

    The Federal Circuit decided on Friday to leave unchanged a handful of patent board rulings lost by a bankrupt mobile tech company that has since launched suits against streamers such as Hulu and the fuboTV brand.

  • April 07, 2024

    7th Circ. Won't Save Hytera From 'Self-Inflicted' Wounds

    A Seventh Circuit panel this weekend said Hytera Communications could not be trusted after it filed a Chinese lawsuit behind an Illinois court's back and brought a $1 million daily fine upon itself, as a federal judge said she needed written proof that a Chinese court had really dismissed the suit.

  • April 05, 2024

    Abbott Settles TM Suit Over Gray Market Diabetes Test Strips

    Abbott Laboratories told a New York federal judge Friday that the company has settled what remains of its trademark litigation campaign against makers of gray market diabetes test strips that has been going on since 2015.

  • April 05, 2024

    Judge Lourie's Dissent Revives Debate Over FDA Safe Harbor

    U.S. Circuit Judge Alan Lourie has urged the Federal Circuit to reconsider its precedent over a safe harbor that allows infringement when companies are developing products regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and many attorneys agreed with him that the appeals court has been improperly expanding the safe harbor for decades.

  • April 05, 2024

    Rapper French Montana Seeks Atty Fees For 'Frivolous' IP Row

    French Montana has told an Illinois federal judge that a young musician who alleged that the rapper sampled his song to make his hit single "Ain't Worried About Nothin'" should cover the attorney fees and litigation costs he spent defending the "frivolous" copyright lawsuit, suggesting that he only filed it to gain publicity.

  • April 05, 2024

    Fed. Circ. Says Sumitomo's Expired Drug Patent Moots Appeal

    The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office received a win on Friday when the Federal Circuit found that since Sumitomo Pharma's patent on a dosage regimen for a schizophrenia drug expired just before the appeals court heard oral arguments, the company's appeal of a decision invalidating all the claims is moot.

  • April 05, 2024

    Judge Newman Pushes To Keep Suit Over Suspension Intact

    U.S. Circuit Judge Pauline Newman urged a D.C. federal judge Friday to let her pursue a constitutional challenge to the law under which she has been suspended, and to reject her colleagues' contention that her case does not pass legal muster.

  • April 05, 2024

    New Partner Joins Nixon Peabody's IP Team In Chicago

    Nixon Peabody LLP has brought on a pair of patent attorneys to its Chicago office, including a partner who worked at Fitch Even Tabin & Flannery LLP for more than 30 years.

  • April 05, 2024

    Texas Appeals Court Reverses IT Consulting Worker Spat

    A Texas appeals court revived a suit brought by an information technology consulting company against its former worker, ruling that the company had shown enough evidence to go forward with the case and the trial court abused its discretion in granting a no-evidence summary judgment motion.

  • April 05, 2024

    Coachella Nabs TM Injunction Against DC 'Moechella' Backers

    California's Coachella music festival secured a preliminary injunction in D.C. federal court barring the organizers of music and cultural events in Washington, D.C., from using the "Moechella" mark.

  • April 05, 2024

    Carl Sagan Co. Says It Owns Astronomer's Rights In TM Fight

    A company managing the works of famed astronomer Carl Sagan said it has the rights to the scientist's name and likeness, telling a Michigan federal judge that it has the standing to sue a software company for allegedly using Sagan's name without permission.

  • April 05, 2024

    Virgin Galactic Sues Boeing Over 'Shoddy' $45M Aircraft Work

    Virgin Galactic has hit Boeing with a breach-of-contract suit in California federal court, alleging the aerospace giant failed to deliver a new $45 million "mothership" carrier aircraft due to its alleged "shoddy and incomplete" work and that Boeing has since wrongfully sued in Virginia seeking to claw back intellectual property licenses. 

  • April 05, 2024

    Walmart's Self-Checkout Patents Survive BJ's PTAB Attacks

    Retail chain BJ's Wholesale Club was unable to persuade judges on an administrative patent board to knock out any claims from a pair of patents covering a self-checkout app that Walmart's Sam's Club brand is suing the rival over in Florida federal court.

  • April 05, 2024

    Sprint's $4.5M Nextel Trademark Win Upheld At 11th Circ.

    Sprint Communications Inc. maintained a trademark on its line of walkie-talkie devices and deserved a $4.5 million jury award against an imitator for its unlawful use of the device name and distinctive "chirp" noise, according to an Eleventh Circuit panel ruling.

  • April 05, 2024

    Off The Bench: ACC Drama, Football Firing Suits Intensify

    In this week's Off The Bench, Florida State University cannot escape an ACC lawsuit that may enforce a nine-figure penalty against the school if it should leave the conference, while both Northwestern University and the Arizona Cardinals face more legal headaches over their decisions to fire key personnel.

  • April 05, 2024

    IP Firm Sues Florida Attorney For Using Soundalike Name

    Georgia-based intellectual property firm Bekiares Eliezer LLP has sued an attorney in Florida federal court, alleging he marketed his services with a name similar to its "Founders Legal" brand.

  • April 05, 2024

    Chinese Insurer Awarded Nearly $15M Over Hotel Theft Suit

    A California federal judge awarded a Chinese insurer nearly $15 million in damages after a man accused of conspiring to fraudulently claim ownership of New York City's JW Marriott Essex House Hotel and other luxury properties failed to appear in the action.

  • April 05, 2024

    UK Litigation Roundup: Here's What You Missed In London

    This past week in London has seen the BBC sued by former Georgian defense minister David Kezerashvili, Russian businessman Ildar Sharipov file a defamation claim against the publisher of the Liverpool Echo newspaper, MEX Group Worldwide sue Barclays and NatWest, and a climbing gear company hit retailer Next with a claim of copyright infringement. Here, Law360 looks at these and other new claims in the U.K.

  • April 04, 2024

    Charter Says Nonprofit's Fight Over Sealed Docs Is Too Late

    Charter Communications Inc. is disputing the Electronic Frontier Foundation's attempt to persuade a Texas federal court to unseal filings in a patent suit against the cable company over data transmission that settled late last year.

  • April 04, 2024

    Coach Accuses Gap Of IP Theft Over Old Navy 'Coach' Tees

    Luxury fashion company Coach Inc. sued The Gap Inc. for alleged trademark infringement in California federal court Tuesday, accusing the global apparel giant of illegally advertising and hawking a line of Old Navy T-shirts that display the word "Coach" in an effort to free ride off Coach's brand and reputation.

  • April 04, 2024

    'Halfhearted' Hytera Filings Not Enough To Lift Hefty Sanctions

    Hytera Communications' daily $1 million fine and other sanctions for violating an Illinois federal judge's anti-suit injunction stayed in place Thursday as she ordered the company to submit a fourth, more "meaningful" request in China to halt a lawsuit it lodged against Motorola Solutions.

  • April 04, 2024

    9th Circ. Unconvinced Judge's Past Job Hurt Tesla Investor

    The Ninth Circuit on Thursday refused to revive claims brought by a short-seller accusing Tesla Inc. and CEO Elon Musk of using social media to artificially inflate the company's stock, ruling that the plaintiff wasn't prejudiced by a district judge's former employment with the predecessor of a firm that represented Tesla for a portion of the litigation.

  • April 04, 2024

    NY AG Asked To Weigh In On Multiple Sclerosis Drug Fight

    The Federal Circuit is asking New York Attorney General Letitia James to weigh in on a patent dispute over a multiple sclerosis drug after it emerged that Acorda Therapeutics' challenge to an underlying arbitral award raises questions about the constitutionality of New York's voluntary payment doctrine.

  • April 04, 2024

    Athletes Say NCAA's Own Actions Prove NIL Rules No Good

    Athletes suing the NCAA over restrictions on the use of their names, images and likenesses are seeking summary judgment, arguing the practice dampens competition with no legitimate justification and that the organization's own actions have shown that to be true.

Expert Analysis

  • How High Court SEC Case Could Affect The ITC

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    While the U.S. Supreme Court’s upcoming ruling in U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission v. Jarkesy will likely spare the U.S. International Trade Commission from major operative changes, the ITC’s ability to issue penalties for violations of its orders may change, say Gwendolyn Tawresey and Ryan Deck at Troutman Pepper.

  • 2nd Circ. Ruling Will Guide Social Media Account Ownership

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    The Second Circuit’s recent decision in JLM Couture v. Gutman — which held that ownership of social media accounts must be resolved using traditional property law analysis — will guide employers and employees alike in future cases, and underscores the importance of express agreements in establishing ownership of social media accounts, says Joshua Glasgow at Phillips Lytle.

  • Storytelling Strategies To Defuse Courtroom Conspiracies

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    Misinformation continues to proliferate in all sectors of society, including in the courtroom, as jurors try to fill in the gaps of incomplete trial narratives — underscoring the need for attorneys to tell a complete, consistent and credible story before and during trial, says David Metz at IMS Legal Strategies.

  • Aldi Design Infringement Case Highlights Assessment Issues

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    The forthcoming English Court of Appeal decision in Marks and Spencer v. Aldi, regarding the alleged infringement of design rights, could provide practitioners with new guidance, particularly in relation to the relevant date for assessment of infringement and the weight that should be attributed to certain design elements in making this assessment, say Rory Graham and Georgia Davis at RPC.

  • Opinion

    9th Circ. Should Overturn The Miles Davis Tattoo Ruling

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    A California district court made several missteps that led to a finding that celebrity artist Kat Von D's Miles Davis tattoo did not infringe copyright, and the Ninth Circuit should overturn the decision because recent U.S. Supreme Court guidance was ignored and the jury did not receive adequate instruction, says Brian Moriarty at Hamilton Brook.

  • Generative AI Raises IP, Data Protection And Contracts Issues

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    As the EU's recent agreement on the Artificial Intelligence Act has fueled businesses' interest in adopting generative AI tools, it is crucial to understand how these tools utilize material to generate output and what questions to ask in relation to intellectual property, data privacy and contracts, say lawyers at Deloitte Legal.

  • Exporters Should Approach Self-Disclosure With Caution

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    A January Bureau of Industry and Security memorandum created an abbreviated process for disclosing export control violations that lack aggravating factors, but deciding which disclosure method to utilize remains a complex strategic undertaking to which companies must give careful consideration, say attorneys at Covington.

  • Is Compulsory Copyright Licensing Needed For AI Tech?

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    The U.S. Copyright Office's inquiry into whether Congress should establish a compulsory licensing regime for artificial intelligence technologies that are trained on copyrighted works has received relatively little attention — but commenters recently opposed the regime under three key themes, say Michael Kientzle and Ryan White at Arnold & Porter.

  • EDNY Ruling Charts 99 Problems In Rap Lyric Admissibility

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    A New York federal court’s recent ruling in U.S. v. Jordan powerfully captures courts’ increasing skepticism about the admissibility of rap lyrics as evidence in criminal trials, particularly at a time when artists face economic incentives to embrace fictional, hyperbolic narratives, say attorneys at Sher Tremonte.

  • 3 Principles For Minimizing The Risk Of A Nuclear Verdict

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    In one of the latest examples of so-called nuclear verdicts, a single plaintiff was awarded $2.25 billion in a jury trial against Monsanto — revealing the need for defense attorneys to prioritize trust, connection and simplicity when communicating with modern juries, say Jenny Hergenrother and Mia Falzarano at Alston & Bird.

  • Series

    Coaching High School Wrestling Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Coaching my son’s high school wrestling team has been great fun, but it’s also demonstrated how a legal career can benefit from certain experiences, such as embracing the unknown, studying the rules and engaging with new people, says Richard Davis at Maynard Nexsen.

  • SG's Office Is Case Study To Help Close Legal Gender Gap

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    As women continue to be underrepresented in the upper echelons of the legal profession, law firms could learn from the example set by the Office of the Solicitor General, where culture and workplace policies have helped foster greater gender equality, say attorneys at Ocean Tomo.

  • Opinion

    Patent Waiver For COVID Meds Would Harm US Biopharma

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    If the Biden administration backs the World Trade Organization in waiving patent rights on COVID-19 treatments, it would negatively affect the U.S. biopharmaceutical industry and help foreign competitors, without necessarily expanding global access to COVID-19 care, says clinical pathologist Wolfgang Klietmann.

  • NCAA's Antitrust Litigation History Offers Clues For NIL Case

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    Attorneys at Perkins Coie analyze the NCAA's long history of antitrust litigation to predict how state attorney general claims against NCAA recruiting rules surrounding name, image and likeness discussions will stand up in Tennessee federal court.

  • Key Considerations For Evaluating An AI Vendor

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    As artificial intelligence technology advances across industries, businesses can mitigate risks, while maximizing the value of their investment, by evaluating technology, expertise, support services, transparency and more when selecting an AI vendor, say Rahul Kapoor and Shokoh Yaghoubi at Morgan Lewis.

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